G for Germs

G For Germs : Teach Your Kids About Germs the Right Way!

‘But mom I don’t see any germs’, ‘My hands are clean mummy, I see no germs on it’. Aren’t these the most common replies most parents get from their kids when they sneeze and touch something without cleaning their hands.

‘How do I explain the concept of germs for my kid to understand?’ is the biggest distress most parents experience. For your little munchkins out there, germs is an abstract concept, something that they cannot see or feel, but trying and explaining the importance of hygiene in an easy-to-understand method will definitely help them lead a healthy path.

Understanding Germs

Our bodies function pretty amazingly, by working hard to digest food particles, pump oxygen and blood and send indications for the brains functioning. But this perfect functioning of the body can be disrupted by a group of petite attackers that can send our overall smooth body functioning for a toss. These tiny living organisms are the root cause for major diseases not just in kids but in almost everyone. In fact, these tiny creatures, can be witnessed only through a microscope, but when they enter our bodies we are unaware of what we are attacked with unless we get the symptoms. Germs can be good as well as bad, for example germs like probiotics are termed as good germs while bacteria, fungi, and virus are considered to be bad germs. Although bacteria cause infections like sore throat, not all bacteria can be termed as harmful, some of these helper germs are also necessary for balancing our bodies.

Germs in Our Body

Germs in Our Body

Image Source: nutrifyforlife.com

What Do Germs Actually Do?

Once germs and allergens are into our bodies, they nestle in and are there to stay for a long time. They gorge on the essential nutrients and energy that produce hazardous toxins in the body. These poisonous contaminants cause symptoms like viral fever, cold, cough, diarrhea and vomiting.

So How Can Parents Make Their Kid’s Get To Know More About Germs?

You can label germs as minute fast growing bugs living on all things which when touched can make you sick. Explain to them the adverse effects like missing out on school or play when you are a victim of germ attack. Older kids will easily understand the adverse health effects that bacteria can cause. Guide them on the importance of maintaining basic hygiene like washing hands every time they use the washroom, covering your mouth while sneezing or coughing, not touching edibles with dirty unwashed hands, washing hands regularly with good anti-bacteria soaps before any kind of food intake. Ensure parents practice cleanliness themselves because your kid’s are going to follow suit. If you maintain a clean and hygienic environment at home it is unlikely your kid might frequently fall prey to any kind of allergies or diseases.

Parents should never go overboard while teaching the child about the importance of germs and cleanliness.  Having a relaxed attitude towards combating germ attack will always help. Forcing your child to keep hands clean to avoid invasion of dust and germs at all times is not only impossible but also unreasonable. If you feel you are doing a good job by expecting your kid’s to practice too much hygiene, you might just end up making your kid a hygiene fanatic. This might lead to over-washing because of the fear of giving an easy entry to germs if you don’t regularly keep your hands clean. Remember your goal is to make them hygienic. The ways and method’s you adopt to introduce germs to them might decide if they will become obsessive about staying germ-free. Model normal control of germs and prevent yourself from going overboard.

So Can Moms Stop Germ Attack?

  • Germs easily spread though the medium of air, like after sneezing and coughing. These can also pass through sweat, blood, personal contact like hand shake with an infected person, defecating in open spaces, touching contaminated food or drinking unclean water.
  • Germs fear soap and water the most. Parents should ensure kids wash their hands well to prevent these warriors to enter in our bodies.
  • Avoid getting your kids in direct contact of pets and animals. Animal fur sometimes contain maggots which are very harmful. Wash the child’s hand immediately when he touches pets or animals.
  • Avoid tagging kids along when you visit a sick patient. Your child might immediately contract the disease.
  • Instill the habit of covering mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing. This will help to keep from spreading of germs. Cough in your elbow, this will prevent spreading of germs.
  • The best weapon to combat these allergens is a regular visit to your doctor’s clinic. Taking routine immunizations to help keep your immune system clean and prepared to battle any form of germs.
  • Feed your child with healthy food and ensure he gets good sleep, this will help to war against germs causing illness.
  • Kids usually have the habit of sharing meals and utensils. Refrain your toddler from sharing utensils.
  • Ensure you regularly wash bed sheets, pillow covers, curtains, carpets and stuffed toys. These are main surfaces on which germs thrive. Keeping your house clean and tidy is the best way to be germ-free.
  • Keep your bathrooms clean and hygienic. Germs usually live on toilet seats. Ensure you clean your WC’s regularly. Keep replacing your bathroom utilities like towels.
  • Monsoon season is the time when your child is more prone to falling sick, falling prey to viral infection. Mosquitoes breed in water puddles formed due to rains and can cause malaria and dengue. Ensure your kids wash their feet and hands every time they get back home after play.
  • During winters cold and cough is unpreventable. Ensure your child does not get in touch with a person down with cold, children being sensitive might easily catch hold of the disease.

Although your child might fall prey to cough and cold, the above mentioned guidelines will surely assist you from letting those tiny devastators in.

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